Our Lullaby
by Rainhealsme
Summary: "I don't remember anyone saying you had to take care of me! Why do you even care?" Zane angrily grabbed her arms. "I do it because I want to." Because of an unfortunate turn of events, Henako Chiasa, a young musician suddenly goes blind, and is taken into the care of Zane Truesdale. [Modern-AU, ZanexOC.]


**So here's the scenario; I came up with this story after playing some of my Guitar Hero games and is also inspired by Yami Aunuum's story, 'Singing Silently'. However, since copy righted lyrics aren't allowed, I'll just give you all the names of the songs, and you can find them on YouTube or wherever after reading. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** This story was written merely for fun and not profit. All songs mentioned in this fic are owned by their respected writers and singers/bands.

* * *

_~ Chapter One: In which there is girl, a band off five, and a life changing occurrence. ~_

ஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜஜ

_Frustration…_

_Anger…_

_Grief…_

Hail stones bashed against the large castle-like building which was intended to be one of the most esteemed academies in the country. It was dark and blurry, the winds howled and pushed ruthlessly at the stately mountains on which the college itself was situated. The water in the nearby river thrashed into violent waves one after the other as the storm raged on. The forest to the east of the river was sinister and gloomy, the branches shaking wildly like arms, as if they were truly alive and wished to be free of the horrendous torture.

As the storm continued to brew on, another storm was just beginning as the headmaster of the school becomes furious with one of his students. Though, his expression did not reflect his mood, his pale fists were shaking furiously as he stood straight, staring down at the young woman who sat quietly with a straight posture. It seemed a bit odd that she would make the headmaster so livid, seeing as she was such quiet person. Her test scores were among the best in the school, and her athletic skills were average. She always wore her uniform appropriately and accordingly to the school dress code as well. But things really aren't as they seem. She is the girl with an academic and a musical talent that made everyone gaped their mouths in awe was Henako Chiasa; best known for her silence and her cruel treatment to others.

The headmaster sighed intensely, bringing his fists behind his back as he moved to his large window to gaze out frustrated at the storm. The lights flickered for a moment as the silence continued to drag on. "Chiasa-kun," the man finally started in a tired tone before facing the girl with a disapproving frown. "Why…why do you do this? You're a good student, yet, why do you torment the other students?"

Chiasa just sat there silently as she impassively stared at the headmaster with no emotion, not even a little in her gaze. Her brown eyes seemed to glow with the dimness of the room as she refuses to speak a single word. All she did was shake her head, much to the displeasure of the headmaster.

_Confusion…_

_Uncertainty…_

_Ambiguity…_

He leaned on his desk and stared hard at the young woman. She seemed too different from the rest of the students body. She was a good student, yet she was always getting into confrontations with others. He even remembered the first time she came here to Belaya Roza University **(1)** one year ago—two years tomorrow. She was only eighteen when she first arrived and she was just as silent as the day she first came. In fact, he doesn't think he ever heard the girl utter a single word since she came. It was either a nod or a shake of the head. He thought she was a very odd child when she came; did all her work and got A's and B's and went into the honor system at one point, but did things one wouldn't expect of a woman like her. She always hated it whenever others came near her or tried touch her. And, when they did, she'd push them or slap their hands away. Though, he did notice that when something bad happens to a person, Chiasa would go and help them and would not say a word after. She just helps them and walks away, without accepting any words of gratitude. And then, there was her passion for music. Every early morning, at lunch time, and even after hours, he'd hear her playing mostly the piano and violin—her preferred instruments, he assumed.

_Perplexity…_

_Bewilderment…_

_Sorrow…_

"Chiasa, mite, do you even know why you're here in the first place?" he asked her, wanting to know what urged her to come to Belaya Roza in the first place.

She merely nodded her head, indicating that she did know why she chose this place.

The old man tilted his head slightly and smiled kindly at her. "And do you mind telling me?"

She shook her head once more.

Her response only caused him to frown. "Why won't you speak?"

Again, she shook her head.

Right when he was going to ask her another question, however, the door knocked lightly as the headmaster looked up and sighed. "Come in," he allowed as the door opened slowly to reveal a young woman in her mid-twenties stepping in wearing a business suit.

She gave a low bow to the headmaster and when her eyes landed on Chiasa, she bowed to her as well. "Headmaster, Henako-san," she greeted and looked at the headmaster. "Headmaster, please allow Henako-san to get ready for her upcoming performance at the Domino Stadium, and hand me a copy of her transcript."

_Disclosure…_

As this woman spoke, the headmaster's eyes widen and he snapped at Chiasa whose gaze was at the snow outside. "What? Chiasa, you're leaving? When were you planning to tell me this?"

At that moment, Chiasa looked at the headmaster from the corner of her eyes and stood up while straightening out her uniform. Formally, she went up to the elderly man and gave a bow before handing him her letter requesting to transfer. After, she handed it to him and she took a step before giving another bow.

Frowning at the young girl and then at the envelope, he opened to see that she written it in her elegant script, directing it towards him personally.

_Dear Headmaster,_

_This may shock you, but I'm sorry. However, I realize that I can no longer stay here at the university. I simply don't fit in, despite what my professors say about me. I don't belong here, so I'll return home. But before I do so, I will be playing my pieces at Belaya Roza Stadium. Yes, I am aware that you have watched me play, so you could go watch the performance if you wish... There is a ticket along with this __letter if you do so desire to go watch. Moreover, I appreciate what you've done for me. _

_Thank you very much,_

**Sincerely, Henako Chiasa**

_Grief…_

_Distress…_

_Contentment… _

When he was finished reading, he looked up to see that Chiasa was still waiting for his answer. Giving a weak smile, he nodded sadly as her eyes went wide for a fraction of a second before returning to its blankness. He could tell that she was grateful. "Go on, now or you'll be late," he urged while Chiasa and her assistant nodded and left. Once the door closed quietly, he turned to look at the calming blizzard as a tear fell from his eye.

**8: 00 pm…** **Zatmenie (2)**** Dome…Dressing Room…**

At the same time, a band of five young musicians were getting ready for their concert in Osaka. The drummer's name is Huffington Chumley; the young man was a big fellow who ate every minute of every day. Chumley looks like the typical rocker what with his wild, spiky black hair and ear piercings. Chumley is actually a nice guy and would help his friends out no matter what. Though, when he was younger before he joined the band, he was always picked on and left out of any sort of activities. That is, until he met his friend, Henako Ryuuji.

Now, Ryuuji, he's a very interesting young man. This young fellow tends to frowns a lot because he finds everything, even his own family, troublesome. Even though, he complains a lot, he will help when his friends really need him. The whole band is like that; that's how they were formed. Besides being a rather antisocial person, Ryuuji is also surprisingly a good addition to the band, as well as friend. But for some reason, he still finds that even troublesome. Overall, he plays the keyboard in the band.

The third member of the band is Phoenix Aster. He plays the second bass guitar and is the second backup singer. He is one of the two serious people in the group, though, just not so intense like their leader. Aster has silver hair that is well kept unlike his drummer friend, and his eyes are blue. Aster believes in fate greatly before he met the band, but that was until he met Yuki Jaden.

How can words explain this hyper young man? Jaden, mostly known as Jay to his friends, is the friendliest person one can meet. He plays the second lead bass guitar and is the first backup singer. He always carries a happy and buoyant outlook on things. He keeps the group together and makes sure that no one is hurting themselves or getting depressed. One can spot him very easily due to his brown, and two-toned hair; his big brown eyes that's always wide with excitement; and…his really, really loud voice that could wake one up no matter how deep a sleeper one is. That's who is. The only person that could bring down Jaden's hyper mood is their band leader who is also his rival.

This young man is the lead guitar and lead singer. He is the most serious one in the band. He is very unfriendly and cold towards others compared to Ryuuji. He doesn't like to be around others unless they were his friends. He doesn't like anything and has absolutely no respect for any woman because of past experiences. Although, he doesn't respect woman, when he was sixteen, he'd always used them to take out his frustration when he got out of his two years of rehabilitation. But now that he turned nineteen a few months ago, he stopped playing around and became more concentrated and serious at his work. The young man is famous for his looks, besides his family name. His navy hair which stuck up in the back, but framed his face gave him a seductive look while his brown eyes and pale skin a mysterious air. He's always seen wearing black or dark blue; once in a while there would a white in the mix somewhere. His name is Truesdale Zane. Together with Jaden, Aster, Ryuuji, and Chumley, Zane and his friends became the band known as **No Remorse (3)**.

As the five band members got ready for their performance in their dressing room, their manager came in to speak with them. "Alright, guys, your concert will last, at least, three hours, so give it your all. And then after this, you'll be able to go home until school starts again." With that being said, he left to talk with the other workers.

Jaden turned in his chair as the hair stylist fixed his hair. "It's about time! We can go home and rest after this!" he exclaimed happily. "Are you excited?"

Chumley, who was in the seat next to him nodded while eating a bag of chips. "You bet! Go home and have some real food at the barbecue house!" Jaden only gave the hefty a lifted brow expression who in turn shrugged his shoulders. "What?"

"You eat too much, dude," Jaden muttered at his gaze landed on the bag of potato chips.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes as did Aster. "Well, it's not like you're one to talk, Jay. You eat chili-fries all the time," the red-haired keyboardist complained. "How is that supposed to be healthy?"

"It is!" the brunette countered. "Potatoes are vegetables, so they're healthy!"

"It's your funeral," Aster commented, making Jaden fume.

Getting angry that everyone's ganging up on him, Jaden was about to say something again until the hair stylist got frustrated and reprimanded him. "Yuki-san, if you can't sit still, we won't be able to get your hair done on time!"

The others snicker as Jaden pouted and crossed his arms over his chest like a child. Upon glaring at the mirror, he noticed that someone was missing. Frowning, the brunette looked at his friends and asked, "Guys? Where's Zane?"

They all looked at each and shrugged, going back to what they were doing earlier. His brows furrowing, Jaden sighed and sat back in his chair, hoping Zane wasn't doing anything that he would regret later.

**8:10 pm…Belaya Roza Stadium…Dressing Room…**

As the other employees who are supposed to work stage for Chiasa's concert, she was now in the dressing room, getting her dress on. It was a fluffy dress. It was made of many layers of cream-colored silk; the top was a corset; at the waist, all the fabric was brought to the left, giving some wrinkled detail to the dress as the fabric met and were bunched lightly while the silk descended from short too long in elegant waves. Chiasa's long red curly hair which was a little below her hips was styled into a simple ponytail. There was very light make up on her face since she didn't need very much. All they did was put a light layer of mascara on and bit of lip gloss and that was it. Once they were finished, they gave the young woman a bow before leaving.

_Emptiness..._

Chiasa herself was left alone as she examined herself in the mirror. Her expression was expressionless; there were no emotions in her eyes ever. She can't feel anything is what she convinced herself. Nothing comes to mind when she plays her music. It's always the same empty feeling time after time. She knew how people felt when they hear her play—grief, joy, affection, and even lament when they think about their own lives.

_Irony…_

She lowered her gaze to her dress, observing it. It almost makes her want to laugh at the irony of it. The dress being white stood for innocence, purity, and chastity. Her innocent…she just couldn't see it. The idea was too ridiculous. She did things that even parents wouldn't be able to look at her. She shook her head and then averted her gaze to the door, contemplating.

**8: 13 pm…**

"Hurry up! The performance is going to start in several minutes," yelled the assistant director of the concert as he rushed into the room, still reprimanding the other workers. "Henako-san, come on! Let's get you out there on the stage." When no one came, he snapped his head back in frustration, only to have his eyes widen in shock and panic. "Henako-san's not here, Spencer-san!"

The manager ran in and blinked in confusion, turning to the assistant. "Chiasa, wa?"

"Wakaranai, I came here to get her, but she wasn't here!" he defended himself as Spencer became angry.

"Okay, fine. Just go and look for her! And do it quickly! We can't have her hurt!" The manager commanded as everyone scattered like ants. Spencer stood with a worried expression as every person became frantic, and silently praying that Chiasa was safe.

**8: 30…Streets of Moscow****…**

Stumbling quickly in her dress which was thankfully covered by her overcoat, Chiasa raced away, having the sudden need to be alone. For some reason she felt overwhelmed and couldn't understand why she felt that way. It was as if she was suffocating; she just really needed to get out and away from those people. After several minutes, Chiasa finally slowed her pace into a casual walk, noticing that the citizens were murmuring and whispering about her. But, of course, like usual Chiasa ignored them all.

It was a good thing when she rushed out of the stadium that she grabbed her umbrella on the way out so that she wouldn't mess up her hair. Don't get her wrong now; Chiasa isn't very materialistic. She just didn't want to hear her stylist complain, that's all.

As she walked, not minding that she looked too formal, Chiasa noticed something on the other side of the street in an alley. Of course, it's not usually safe for a girl to walk in an alleyway at night, but she could defend herself easily.

Interested to see what it is, Chiasa dodged all the spectators and cars just to see what it was that caught her attention. Easing her way through back on the sidewalk, Chiasa strolled down a couple of blocks before actually turning into the alley. While she walked, the snow slowly started to fall heavily once more. Again, she was thankful that she took the umbrella. She stopped for a second to look up and stare at the sky, wondering if she'll miss it once she leaves—probably. It was the only thing that made her at ease. It was so relaxing for her; she'd always sit by the window at night to gaze at the winter wonderland outside. Chiasa sighed, remembering her childhood memories here. They were nice, but it's a shame that she has to leave this place, though.

_Curiosity…_

Shaking her head of the reverie, she continued down the alley until she noticed a speck of red and a wisp of white smoke. Tilting her head to the side when she realized that someone had lit a cigarette, she moved closer. When she was a couple of steps away, Chiasa stopped upon discovering a young man around her age, no older. She saw the expression on his face and it made hers become even void than ever. She saw what he felt just by seeing his face. It was as if there was no life in him at all. He just sat there on the balls of his feet with his arm outstretched which held the cigarette. Her feet made her move closer until she stood directly in front of the young man. Now that she was closer, Chiasa decided to examine his features.

_Desire…_

She had to admit, the young man was handsome; she never seen anyone like him before. His features were dark—dark blue hair, his eyes, and his dark clothes. The only thing that made him stand out was his light skin. With the blue surrounding him, his pale skin made him seem threatening and mysterious. However, his empty face made her feel something. It reminded her of her very self; that expression is what she wore every day. It showed that she wasn't like the others, that she was empty and void of emotions. She couldn't feel anything.

_Uncertainty…_

The young man twitched a bit and seemed surprised to see that a girl was standing in front of him and staring at him. But he didn't do anything; he just sat and inhaled his cigarette. His movements made Chiasa snap out of her daze as she watches him blow smoke through his lips. As he did so, his eyes landed on hers as if challenging her. Chiasa narrowed her own eyes a bit until she noticed his attire. It looked like he was supposed to be performing at a rock concert. The only thing he had to keep himself warm was a thin black jacket. She hated it when people did that, not caring for their health.

_Hospitality..._

Chiasa shook her head a fraction of an inch and gave a very faint sigh before kneeling before the young man. Taking his cigarette, she squashed the bud into the ground, not even fazed by his glare. When she was done, she looked up at him to see that he calmed down somehow and was staring at her. Taking his still outstretched hand, Chiasa placed the handle of her umbrella in his hand. While she did this, she didn't notice the confused frown he gave her. Why in the world was she helping a person like him? Usually, she'd just help and leave, but somehow she felt obligated to get him back on his feet to bring him wherever he needed to be. When Chiasa was sure he was holding the umbrella, she also took off her overcoat and placed it on his shoulders. However, when she did, Chiasa saw that he was going to take it off, so stopped him by putting her hand on his, making him stare at her brown eyes.

She gave him a curt nod before standing up to leave. Chiasa took up her dress so that it wouldn't be dirty and began walking away. However, since she didn't get very far he grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. His hair was now getting wet due to the falling snowflakes but he didn't mind. As of now, this stranger was just going to leave after giving him her coat and umbrella. Was she strange? It's cold and she's wearing a formal dress. He gave her overcoat back, but kept the umbrella. He nodded to her and then left, feeling satisfied.

When he was gone, Chiasa didn't have any expression on her face as usual. However, this young man really did perplex her since he didn't say very much or all for that matter. She wondered who he is and if she was going to meet him again. The chance didn't seem very possible. So, she shrugged it off and decided that it was time to go back to the stadium and finish off her performance.

**8: 45 pm… ********Zatmenie**** Dome…Back Stage…**

Zane entered through the back door, wanting to avoid the large crowd of fan(girls)s as he closed the umbrella. He stared at the violet umbrella until he noticed a symbol on the bottom of the handle. It was a swirl mark just like the insignia for their band. Peculiar, he thought. Oh well, maybe it was just a coincidence. Going to the dressing room along with the umbrella, Zane was immediately bombarded as soon as he stepped in by none other than Jaden himself.

"What the hell?" Zane grunted in annoyance as he forced the boy off himself.

Jaden twitched when he noticed the smell of cigarette on him. "Did you smoke again?" he demanded, getting in Zane's comfort zone. "Man, what did I tell you? It's going to kill you if you don't stop!"

"That's the least of our worries!" Aster yelled as he entered the room after hearing the commotion. "Where have you been? We were looking all over for you!"

Ryuuji also came in with a frustrated look. "You had us worried, you know. Everyone's been waiting for at least half an hour for you."

"That's right! We can't start the show without you, you know!" Jaden scolded, not seeing that Zane's eye was twitching due to his yelling.

"Shimeta," Zane grunted, getting annoyed. "Go and stall the crowd for me while I get ready."

They all looked uneasy at this. "You sure you're not going to wonder off again?" Aster asked warily.

The eldest Truesdale rolled his eyes in response. "I won't leave," he assured.

The others mumbled to themselves as they left Zane to himself. Though, Ryuuji lagged behind the others when he saw Zane putting away an umbrella. "Where did you get that?"

The young man in question blinked. "Someone gave it to me when it started snowing."

Ryuuji took the umbrella and looked at the bottom of the handle. Seeing the Victorian swirl design, his eyes snapped to Zane's. "Where did this come from again?" he demanded with an urgent look.

Zane frowned at the his attitude. Why is he getting so worked up? It's just an umbrella anyway. "I told you; a girl gave it to me," he answered.

"You never said it was a girl," Ryuuji countered with a suspicious frown etched across his face. He was hardly the serious one when it came to Zane and girls, but for some reason, this news really interested him. Who was the girl who gave Zane the umbrella? "Do you remember what she looked like?"

Again, a frown was shown on Zane's handsome face. "Why are you so concerned? It was just a girl, that's it," Zane grunted, now wanting to end this ridiculous conversation. "Why does it matter to you?"

"_It_ does!" Ryuuji yelled, shocking the navy-haired young man. "Just tell me what she looked like, Zane."

As of now, Zane _knew _Ryuuji was being serious when he used his actually name. It was the same thing for him; if something was bothering him, he'd call Zane by his first name. Odd thing friendship is. "All I remembered was that she had curly red hair and brown eyes, alright. Now tell me why this is bothering you so much," he said.

The usually quiet teen seemed speechless when Zane gave him the descriptions. He muttered to words to himself that Zane couldn't catch, making him confused. "Uh, Ryuuji? Doushita?"

Ryuuji shook his head and said that it was nothing before walking out of the room to join the others. Zane only lifted his brow and just shook his head, returning to his earlier task. _Whatever. I'll never know what's going on in his mind; _he thought absent-mindedly and sighed, knowing that tonight's going to be a long one.

**Belaya Roza Stadium…**

"Chiasa-kun, where have you been?" Spencer demanded as she gave the girl a motherly embrace. "Don't do that again! Do you know how worried I was?"

_Distress…_

_Sympathy…_

Chiasa lowered her eyes to the floor, feeling bad for making her worried. She was like an older sister to her. Chiasa was there for her since the very beginning and she learned to grow on Chiasa and made her comfortable around her.

The curly-haired girl looked up with a small apologetic look, saying that she was sorry. Spencer was still upset, but she can forgive the girl this time. "Fine—just don't do it again, understand?"

Chiasa nodded as she returned the woman's hug from before. The manager smiled and hugged back. When they let go, Chiasa began to make her way to the stage until Spencer called her back.

"Chiasa, where's your umbrella? I thought you'd take it with you, but it's not here," the manager said with a baffled expression.

The girl only shrugged and left to her piano, which will be played for several of her pieces and her violin as well. Taking a deep breath as she stood behind the currents, the image of the young man earlier flashed through her mind as she held her head high and walked out while the audience gave the applause.

**9: 45 pm… ********Zatmenie**** Dome…**

As the two guitarists strung the last note loudly, Zane finished off the song with a shout the crowd. The fans screamed and cried, watching as their idol performed before them. Aster simply gave his guitar a last quick stroke, finally ending the concert for the night.

"Here's our last song for the New Year!" Jaden cried excitedly, getting the audience of young adults to scream louder. "This one is called Monsters **(4)**!Enjoy!"

The song started with the strum of the guitars until Jaden began the tune while Chumley brought the song together with his drums. The song was soothing and calm as soon as Zane sang the lyrics to the crowd.

He closed his eyes as Jaden sang his part, dropping his head a bit as he thought of the girl he met. It was odd. Whenever he'd performed, he'd always felt uneasy for some odd reason; but, now, at this moment, Zane was actually feeling at peace—not only because he was thinking of the girl, but also because of the song. It soothes him.

Keeping his eyes closed, he picked up where Jaden left off with the same soft tune as Aster joined in with his bass. His voice started to rise slowly.

Zane opened his eyes and gave the crowd a determined gaze.

Chiasa sat on the stool as she ran her hand gently over the keys with a small twitch of her lips. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for her last song as the host announced loudly to the sophisticated people of the audience.

"This is her last song for the New Year, so please enjoy it! Thank you all for coming!" he said into the microphone as the people clapped their hands. "This song is called _To Zanarkand _**(5)**!"

Chiasa closed her brown eyes while lifting her hands slightly above the keys. Slowly, she brought her fingers to the piano as music began to flow beautifully from her hands. She paused for a brief second before going on to the next memorized line. The song moved to a more melancholy tune evenly while the crowd sat in audience of the twenty year old girl.

As she played, Chiasa can see the image of the boy she saw in the alley. Seeing his face made this song she played didn't seem so sad anymore. It was like a renewed hope bursting forth from her. She wished that the audience could understand what she felt at that very moment as she played this piece. Back when she first wrote it, the song was just on a whim. She had to get this tune down before she forgot it. Thinking back, Chiasa didn't know why she was in such haste to get this song down. It just seemed necessary and now she was glad she did.

It was quiet for a second as Zane grabbed the microphone closer to himself while Aster played a more distinct rhythm on his guitar and Chumley beating his drums like there was no tomorrow. Ryuuji was in his corner of the stage, bobbing his head to the music, pressing his keys at the right moment.

Zane sang; the girl's image in his head again as his eyes narrowed faintly. His voice softened at the line, mentally wondering to his self of that question at the same time.

Aster echoed as Zane sang the chorus once more, but with much more energy this time.

She hit the main keys to hit her chorus as the song flowed smoothly, bringing her audience in with its sad grace. The chorus repeated twice before going on to a different note. Chiasa's brows furrowed as memories started to rush back to her.

His eyes held such pain and sadness as his childhood memories flashed through his head. His family name, his father, his brother…all those memories…

Bringing his head to side to rid of the memories, he grinded his teeth, forcing himself to finish the song.

He screamed and dropped his head as Aster and Jaden sang their part, while altogether all four played their instruments intensely, bringing everything together for the finale.

Her song became louder and louder as the notes changed to something more dramatic as if showing her true feelings when she first wrote the song. Even now, all of her emotions were being displayed as the song moved forward, into a quieter melody. It went slowly at first; getting the audience to relax a bit, but soon the piece sped up quickly just as her emotions have.

The drums rolled signaling the solution of the climax of the lyrics.

Zane banged his head to the drums.

The guitars, the drums, and the keyboard surged together, bringing the last of the chorus in as Zane took a deep breath, looking distant once more. He stressed the last note, moving farther to the edge of the stage.

Chiasa lifted her hands higher, bringing in the intensity that she felt as she keyed the notes professionally yet elegantly. Opening her eyes for the first time, Chiasa looked beyond the spotlight, beyond the burgundy curtains, to see the man she met. Her music translated her wishes, her feelings.

He screamed into the microphone, sweat trickling down his face.

Jaden echoed behind him, watching his friend with careful eyes, interpreting his movements. _'What's on your mind, Zane?'_

Even everyone else thought the same thing. They'd never seen the young man so determined as he performed. Though, he would give his best, they never saw his all.

Aster sang, knowing Jaden will come after him.

Zane finished with his repeat and Jaden with his light whisper, completely ending the song with Aster's guitar and Chumley's tapping of the cymbal. The band threw their heads down in unison as the fans went wild and started to jump up and down in excitement.

**10: 00 pm…**

Chiasa finished off her solo with a fast spectacular climax and soon slowed it down to a quiet pitch of the high key. The stadium fell silent for a few seconds until one person began clapping, causing everyone else to do the same. The curly-haired girl stood up, ignoring the roses being thrown on the stage for her. Standing beside the bench, she gave a low curtsy to the crowd as they whooped and congratulated her for her performance.

_Indifference…_

With a blank face, Chiasa observed the crowd. Here, she noticed some of the women were actually crying as the men hugged and comforted them. The host came back out on the stage, walking beside her. Throwing his hands into the air, he said gleefully, "Ladies and gentlemen, Lady Henako Chiasa!"

The audience clapped louder as she started her descent to the back room. Once she was back stage, she sat on a stool, staring at her reflection. Once more she noticed that there was a light blush on her face. Finding it to be strange, she rubbed it off, not liking it. However, when it didn't, she frowned and looked closer. It was, in fact, her own natural blush she didn't realize was there. She was always pale and never had any kind of blush before.

Shaking her head, Chiasa turned to see Spencer coming from the stage to embrace her. "Finally! Aren't you excited to go home, Chiasa-chan?" she asked with a happy smile.

Chiasa only nodded, relieved as well.

"All we have to do left is greet the audience and that's it," Spencer said, checking the schedule. "Ready?"

Again, Chiasa only nodded.

**10: 45 pm…Inside of the No Remorse's private jet…**

"Ah! This feels so nice!" Jaden sighed, stretching himself across the row of seats. Opening his brown eyes, he stared at his stoic friend who was fiddling with the umbrella ever since their group had finished their concert. "I don't get it—is that umbrella actually that interesting to you or what?" he asked, curiously.

Zane seemed to be in a different world since he blinked and gave the brunette a brief expression of confusion. "Don't worry about it," he replied as the surroundings and happenings clicked in.

The Russian city of Zatmenie wasn't that far from their home country, Japan by plane. It was only an hour or so since Yuki was near the east coast. Zane gazed out of his window with a distant stare, not caring if Ryuuji was watching his odd behavior. _I wonder if I'll see that girl again…_

**12: 30…Domino…Airport…**

"Please take your time, Henako-san!" the guide yelled as he helped the red-haired girl down the steps; but that was apparently more difficult than it seems due to the fact that there was a severe storm occurring in the city.

Once she was safely on the ground, the group ran to the entrance to get out of the blizzard. As soon as they were inside, everyone groaned in complaint seeing as how they're going to be stuck at the airport for the rest of the night. However, Spencer wasn't going to allow Chiasa to stay in a cold airport, so she went with Chiasa to pick up her things.

"Demo, it's just too dangerous to be out there, Spencer-san! It'll be the death of you if you aren't careful!" One of the staff members said, trying to stop the two women.

But, she simply shook it off and chuckled. "Stop worrying so much! It's Domino City! It'll get warm soon enough to melt the snow!"

The one who tried to stop them was still unconvinced. "And what about the slick ice? Onegai, Spencer-san! It's for your own safety," he pleaded.

Again, the blonde woman ignored him while rest still followed unsure themselves. Once the luggage was inside the taxi, Spencer joined Chiasa who sat quietly for her to finish. The woman rubbed her hands together, putting them by her lips. "It's so cold here! How odd, isn't it, Chiasa-chan?" she said, looking at the detached girl.

Chiasa turned to look at Spencer and took off her scarf to keep the older woman warm.

"Ah! You don't have to, Chiasa-chan! Please, keep yourself warm. I'm fine," she assured with a smile, though the girl frowned a bit.

The front door slammed shut as the driver started the ignition. "Where to?" he asked the older woman as she handed him the address. "Okay, let's get going, shall we?"

Slowly and carefully, the driver looked over his shoulders to see if there were any oncoming cars before pulling out of the pick-up area. The heat was on full blast as Spencer continued to rub her hands together. This was most annoying to her. She's been living in Russia for many years now, so a little blizzard in Japan shouldn't be anything; but she hates the cold.

"Why is it so cold in Domino this year?" she asked the driver who looked at her in his mirror.

He shrugged, bringing his eyes back to the road. "I'm not sure; the meteorologists thought it was odd as well, saying that we should be having some frost instead," he answered casually until they all felt the car starting to slow down.

_Alertness…_

This caught Chiasa's attention since she's been in the car sitting quietly. She turned to look out of the windshield to see what was wrong. The driver swore as he tried to restart the car. "Dammit! The car is stalled. I'll go see if I can fix what's wrong. Hang on for a minute." The driver stepped outside and popped up his hood to fix what was wrong. After a few minutes out in the cold, he came back in and tried to restart the car again. It made a deafening screeching noise for a few seconds before the engine came to life again. However, he was too late.

_Shock…_

Loud breaking screeches from the intersection came on both sides as eyes widen in shock when they realized that they were going to get hit. Chiasa sat with surprise, seeing bright yellow headlights heading in her direction. She didn't have time to react as the SUV smashed into her door, breaking the window as glass flew harshly into her eyes. Chiasa cried out in pain as she clutched her bleeding eyes. During this moment, Chiasa suddenly felt herself being flung down on the seat with a pressure on top of her. It was all too perplexing—the screaming, the crunching, the screeching. It made her head ache as the car flipped. She was sure she heard the cars behind them collide as well.

The car stopped moving and all was silent except for the sounds of crying sirens blaring loudly. There were voices everywhere but she only heard one distinct one, one that she was familiar with all her life.

"T-thank goodness…you're…s-safe…. Ch-Ch…Ch…iasa…-chan," a whisper came in her ear as she tried to detect where it came from. Then the pressure on her felt heavier as she tried to open her eyes. But that only made her cry in pain as her eyes bled more. So using her hands, Chiasa moved up to feel hair on her shoulders. Moving higher, she realized that it was Spencer.

_Fright…_

_Misery…_

_Emptiness…_

Panic started to rise in her chest as she feared the worst. She struggled to sit up, but her head started to ache, making it more difficult to stay awake. Tears began to come as she registered what had just occurred. Darkness filled her vision as she lost consciousness with tears flowing down her face. Spencer was gone...

**12: 57 pm…Truesdale Estate…**

Zane placed all of his baggage in the living room as his butler greeted him with a bow. The young man gave a curt nod back as he started towards his bedroom. A hot long shower would be nice to soothe his sore muscles after the long flight. Opening the door to his bathroom which was conveniently inside of his room, Zane turned on the shower head. Taking off his clothes, he stepped into the tub, letting the hot water run through his hair and down his body. Immediately, Zane felt all those tight knots loosened. Ah, what a wonderful feeling to be home.

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from the steamy bathroom with his fresh pair of clothes on with a towel on his head. Once finished, he just tossed the towel on the back of his chair and headed downstairs. Quickly grabbing an apple from the kitchen, Zane dropped on his couch and sat like any normal guy and turned on his television.

"Would you like a drink, young master?" the butler asked politely.

"No, thank you," Zane answered back. Flipping through the channels bored, one actually caught his eyes as he paused to see the same girl he met on TV. _It's her…_

It was her performance that he was watching. He paused that show at one scene when they had a close up on her face. Zane frowned. There was no expression on her face as she played the violin. Sure she had her eyes closed, but still. He'd thought he see something there. _She's a musician, too. Odd… _Pressing play again, the show flashed to the part Chiasa played her ending piece. His dark brows lifted; impressed that she also played the piano. He sat quietly as he heard her play. Here, he noticed her countenance changed a bit as the song progresses. Her motions were fluid, but he saw it. He saw the emotion she put into it, reminding him of his last song. In many ways, he noticed, that he and she were very much alike. They were musicians, had little emotions, were quiet and when it really counts, and played at their very best in the end.

Zane smirked. _Hmm…I probably won't see her anymore anyway…_

He flipped to another channel when the show ended.

"At 12: 43 this morning, a collision occurred on Main Street with twenty cars. One car, however, was severely struck due to the SUV and eighteen-wheeler that crashed into it at the same time," the woman reported as the camera averted to the black car that was flipped upside down with a street light knocked over it.

Zane frowned upon seeing this. _An SUV _and _eighteen-wheeler…interesting. There aren't probably any survivors left, _he thought, as the camera zoomed in on the aftermath. He winced and shook his head, turning off the television as he did so.

While heading towards his room to sleep, he laid down, thinking about the accident that happened. For some reason, there was a nagging feeling he felt in his chest and it wouldn't go away. He had a feeling that accident had something to do with someone he knew. But that couldn't be right. Everyone else he knew was at home now, so who could it be…?

_All this thinking won't get me any sleep,_ Zane thought, annoyed, turning on his side to sleep. As he drifted into a deep slumber, all he saw was the young woman's face.

**TBC…**

* * *

**Before I had finished typing this, my computer did the cutest thing; it caught a virus, and a nasty one at that. Since I tend to keep my writing and homework on flashdrives, most of my files are safe. Until I get some better virus software, I'll have to hold off on answering PMs and reviews so soon, but I may around to some of them at school. **

**Anyway. thanks for reading, and don't forget to drop me a review. After all, the lonely review box needs your support as well. :)**

**(1) - **Belaya Roze, is Russian for white rose. I thought it would be a nice name for a university.

**(2) - **Zatmenie translated from Russian, this means eclipse.

**(3) ****- **I can't tell you how long it took me to come up with a name for Zane's band. Eventually, I had to Google some names, and this one I liked the best.

**(4) -**The song I used for this chapter was called Monsters, which was performed by a band called Matchbook Romance. This was one of my favorite songs to play on Guitar Hero II, and most of the song I will be using for this particular story will be from this one, Legends of Rock, and World Tour.

**(5) ****- **The song Chiasa played is composed by Uematsu Nobuo, and he mainly composes music for Final Fantasy.

**(6) - **If you noticed the cover for this story, the girl in the picture is non other than Chiasa herself. It was the best one I could find.


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